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Di Resta 'itching' for better results amid speculation over his future

Paul di Resta: "You get a bit itchy and if the drive opens up I'd love to take it" © Sutton Images

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Force India's Paul di Resta says he is getting "a bit itchy" to win races and score podiums in Formula One as speculation continues to grow over where he will drive next year.

Di Resta is now in his third year at Force India but has yet to score a podium, despite coming close on a couple of occasions. With a possible vacancy at Ferrari, Red Bull or Lotus next year, di Resta is among the drivers linked to a shift up the grid.

Asked if he would be happy to drive a fourth year at Force India, he said: "I'll be happy when I'm winning races, that's when I'll be happy. I'm in Formula One and I'm doing the job I love doing, wherever it takes me.

"I just want to be in a stronger position as the years go on. As you get older you get wiser and it's a few years since I stood on the podium and even won races. You get a bit itchy and if the drive opens up I'd love to take it. At the same time I'm very content with where I am and it's about coming up the ladder."

Di Resta last finished on a podium racing in DTM when he won the championship in 2010. He said that when he does finally make it into the top three in F1 he wants it to be through judgement rather than luck.

"We've been close and with a bit more luck we could have achieved it. I regard those fourth places that I've had in the team as hard work. I think the journey to get there has been very good. And those fourth places have probably been more rewarding in our team as the person that won the grand prix. I've always said when I get on the podium I want to know why I'm on the podium and I want to achieve for next week. I wouldn't like it to just be one-off fluke because everything went right, it's more about understanding it and making sure we keep achieving it."

Di Resta added that he is focused on the remaining nine races with Force India this year.

"You're in the position you're in. Obviously when we're quite a bit of the way into the season you have shown what you can do within the challenges that have faced you. It's nice to be linked with it [top drives] but we are only halfway through the year and there is a lot up for grabs.

"I've got a job to do and that is to represent this team. We've got a challenge up ahead of us to maintain where we are because we started the season well and we don't want to drop off. We want to be finishing like we have done during the previous seasons that I've driven here."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.